Mechanical Jewel? Kind of like a pipe wrench is a mechanical jewel? I always considered those classic Nikons to be heavy-duty tools :)

Yeah when I go to hang a picture on the wall I pull out my trusty F to pound a nail into it.

02-03-2013, 10:34 PM

kivis

Quote:

Originally Posted by rthomas

My favorite mechanical 35mm camera, hands down, is the original Nikon F with the eye-level (non-metered) prism and a hand-held meter. There is nothing in the viewfinder except your image, and you see 100% of the view the lens sees. The F2 and FM2 have some improvements over the F, which may matter depending on your needs. They are also great cameras, but there's something classic and timeless about the F. Finding one with an eyelevel prism in good shape might be hard within the budget you stated but I am sure there are user bodies out there.

My favorite mechanical 35mm camera, hands down, is the original Nikon F with the eye-level (non-metered) prism and a hand-held meter. There is nothing in the viewfinder except your image, and you see 100% of the view the lens sees. The F2 and FM2 have some improvements over the F, which may matter depending on your needs. They are also great cameras, but there's something classic and timeless about the F. Finding one with an eyelevel prism in good shape might be hard within the budget you stated but I am sure there are user bodies out there.

I'm with rthomas. There's nothing like looking through the viewfinder of a meterless prism and all you see is what the lens sees and no other distractions. Kinda makes the viewfinder look "clean"

06-12-2013, 05:34 AM

Craig Swensson

minolta SR7 + 50 1.4..too late you got the Nikon...

06-12-2013, 02:13 PM

John_Nikon_F

^Just remember to keep the camera in the case, otherwise, your batteries might go flat. That is, if we're talking about the original SR-7, the battery eater.

-J

06-12-2013, 02:21 PM

John_Nikon_F

Oh, and, re: the original post, F2A with a DP-11. AI coupling, nearly bulletproof camera which can be configured to whatever you need...

-J

06-12-2013, 08:02 PM

Ralph Javins

Good morning;

It's true. Old threads never die.

I was surprised to see Craig Swensson's recommendation for the Minolta SR-7 with the ROKKOR 50mm/f:1.4 lens. I would have suggested the original big lens for the SR-7; the AUTO ROKKOR-PF 58mm f:1.4. The MC ROKKOR-PF 58mm f:1.4 will also work well. And, yes, I do agree that the original SR-7 should be kept in its case, as is suggested (without explanation) in the owner's manual. When kept in the dark, the built-in light meter battery lasts a very long time. But if you get any of the models with the Light Meter ON-OFF or ON-OFF-BC rotary switch on the bottom (the SR-7a, SR-7b, the SR-7v, or the SR-7s), that is not a problem. Unless you forget to turn it back off.

But he did say that he had purchased a Nikon F2A, as many had suggested. In any case, with a CLA, any of them will continue on for many years. And it does look like we will also have 35mm film to feed them.

06-12-2013, 10:07 PM

clayne

2 Attachment(s)

F's are classic no-nonsense/no-distraction. F2s are pretty much the same, but nicer advance feel and modern flip-back. F3 gets you aperture priority. I love 'em all.